Attica Correctional Facility

Attica Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison housing males convicted of felonies who are 21 years of age or older committed directly by the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eight judicial districts of New York . It also receives felons 16 years of age and older by transfer from the Elmira Reception Center or other institutions.

A 1926 report of the Crime Commission of New York's Sub-Commission on Penal Institutions stated that the state's prisons were operating at 120% of capacity. To alleviate the overcrowding, the report recommended increasing the capacity of the four existing prisons to 2,000 inmates and constructing a new prison. A law of 1927 (Chapter 56) appropriated $50,000 for acquisition of a site for the new prison. Construction began in Attica, Wyoming County, in 1929 with a $3.5 million appropriation from the sale of bonds.

Attica Prison was completed in early 1931 at a final cost of $9,000,000 to the state and was officially opened on June 14 of that year. Attica Prison was constructed and operated as a receiving prison, but during its early years, its inmate population was derived from the state' four other prisons and not from direct commitment from the courts.

In 1926, Chapter 606 reorganized the state government and established the Department of Correction. It also provided for the continuation of reporting by prison officials to the Department as mandated by Chapter 459 of the laws of 1847. This law required prison officials to provide a full account, accompanied by all necessary vouchers, of all monies received and expended. The comptroller was also to receive a general account of the receipts and expenditures for each month and an abstract of expenditures in detail. In addition, records were to be kept recording every punishment inflicted on a convict, the nature, amount, and by whom, and convict complaints regarding bad or insufficient food, lack of clothing, or cruel and unjust treatment by a prison keeper.

Laws of 1970, Chapter 475 established the Department of Correctional Services. This organization places the state's prisons under the supervision of the Commissoner of Correctional Services who appoints the Superintendents of prisons (formerly wardens).

The Commissioner is mandated by law to "prescribe a system of accounts and records to be kept at each correctional facility" and to "make rules and regulations for a record of photographs and other means of identifying each inmate received into the facility". The enabling legislation also requires the daily recording of fiscal matters and proceedings by the superintendent to be submitted on daily and annual dates to the Commissioner. This section of the law is very similar to the 1847 statute that originally mandated what records would be kept.

An inmate uprising focused national attention on this prison in September of 1971, when more than 1,000 inmates seized 32 guards as hostages in an attempt to win approval for a list of demands. The demands included coverage by state minimum wage law, freedom to be politically active, true religious freedom, end to censorship of reading materials, right to communicate with anyone at their own expense, realistic rehabilitation, better food, competent medical treatment, more recreation and less cell time, and no reprisals for those taking part in the uprising. After several days of negotiating, talks stalled on the questions of amnesty from criminal prosecution and the ouster of prison superintendent Mancusi. The next day 1,000 heavily armed state troopers, sheriff's deputies and prison guards stormed Attica under the cover of tear gas, killing 32 inmates but also 9 hostages in a hail of gunfire.

After the prison was resecured by state officials, a number of prisoners were transferred to other state facilities while the prison was repaired. Today Attica houses approximately 1,897 inmates.

Attica Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison housing males convicted of felonies who are 21 years of age or older committed directly by the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eight judicial districts of New York . It also receives felons 16 years of age and older by transfer from the Elmira Reception Center or other institutions.

A 1926 report of the Crime Commission of New York's Sub-Commission on Penal Institutions stated that the state's prisons were operating at 120% of capacity. To alleviate the overcrowding, the report recommended increasing the capacity of the four existing prisons to 2,000 inmates and constructing a new prison. A law of 1927 (Chapter 56) appropriated $50,000 for acquisition of a site for the new prison. Construction began in Attica, Wyoming County, in 1929 with a $3.5 million appropriation from the sale of bonds.

Attica Prison was completed in early 1931 at a final cost of $9,000,000 to the state and was officially opened on June 14 of that year. Attica Prison was constructed and operated as a receiving prison, but during its early years, its inmate population was derived from the state' four other prisons and not from direct commitment from the courts.

In 1926, Chapter 606 reorganized the state government and established the Department of Correction. It also provided for the continuation of reporting by prison officials to the Department as mandated by Chapter 459 of the laws of 1847. This law required prison officials to provide a full account, accompanied by all necessary vouchers, of all monies received and expended. The comptroller was also to receive a general account of the receipts and expenditures for each month and an abstract of expenditures in detail. In addition, records were to be kept recording every punishment inflicted on a convict, the nature, amount, and by whom, and convict complaints regarding bad or insufficient food, lack of clothing, or cruel and unjust treatment by a prison keeper.

Laws of 1970, Chapter 475 established the Department of Correctional Services. This organization places the state's prisons under the supervision of the Commissoner of Correctional Services who appoints the Superintendents of prisons (formerly wardens).

The Commissioner is mandated by law to "prescribe a system of accounts and records to be kept at each correctional facility" and to "make rules and regulations for a record of photographs and other means of identifying each inmate received into the facility". The enabling legislation also requires the daily recording of fiscal matters and proceedings by the superintendent to be submitted on daily and annual dates to the Commissioner. This section of the law is very similar to the 1847 statute that originally mandated what records would be kept.

An inmate uprising focused national attention on this prison in September of 1971, when more than 1,000 inmates seized 32 guards as hostages in an attempt to win approval for a list of demands. The demands included coverage by state minimum wage law, freedom to be politically active, true religious freedom, end to censorship of reading materials, right to communicate with anyone at their own expense, realistic rehabilitation, better food, competent medical treatment, more recreation and less cell time, and no reprisals for those taking part in the uprising. After several days of negotiating, talks stalled on the questions of amnesty from criminal prosecution and the ouster of prison superintendent Mancusi. The next day 1,000 heavily armed state troopers, sheriff's deputies and prison guards stormed Attica under the cover of tear gas, killing 32 inmates but also 9 hostages in a hail of gunfire.

After the prison was resecured by state officials, a number of prisoners were transferred to other state facilities while the prison was repaired. Today Attica houses approximately 1,897 inmates.